SMART Sync
™ 2009
SMART Sync™ (formerly SynchronEyes™) is easy-to-use classroom management software that allows teachers to monitor and control their students’ computers while facilitating chat, file sharing and group collaboration. SMART Sync 2009 introduces enhancements to the software. Subsequent service packs introduce additional enhancements.
User Interface Improvements
SMART Sync 2009 includes an updated and more modern look and feel that aligns it with other SMART Technologies software products, including SMART Notebook™ and SMART Notebook Student Edition (SE).
Collaboration Feature Improvements
Collaboration Feature
SMART Sync 2009 introduces a new Collaboration feature.
This feature allows you to create a collaborative environment where you can organize your students into groups. In that environment, students can do the following:
l Share screens
l Share files
l Present their work to others
l Complete group assignments
N O T E S
l Access sample collaborative activities fromeducation.smarttech.com.
l With SMART Sync 2009 SP4, students using SMART Notebook SE
version 1.6 or later no longer need to manually save their collaborative assignment work. In addition, collaborative assignment files open in new SMART Notebook SE tabs.
Chat Redesign
SMART Sync 2009 improves the usability and functionality of chat. Specifically, it introduces the following changes:
l The Questions feature, which allows your students to ask questions through
SMART Sync, is accessible from the View toolbar.
l You can broadcast your response to a student question to all students or a group
of students.
l The Announce button, which replaces the Message button, allows you to
broadcast a message to all students or a group of students.
l When a new chat message arrives, a pop-up window appears in the notification
area of the student’s desktop.
Rule Improvements
Internet Blocking Improvements
In previous versions of SynchronEyes, you could create a single Internet blocking rule that blocked student access to the Internet. You could then create exceptions for specific websites.
In SMART Sync 2009, you can create multiple Internet blocking rules. Create the following types of rules to manage student Internet access:
l Block student access to the Internet but allow specific websites l Allow student access to the Internet but block specific websites
N O T E
Rule Sharing
SMART Sync 2009 introduces several features that allow teachers in your school to share application and Internet blocking rules:
l A network administrator can add application and Internet blocking rules to a
SMART School file. Any teacher with a SMART Sync Teacher installation linked to the SMART School file can access these rules.
l A teacher can share application and Internet blocking rules with other teachers by
saving the rules to a SMART Sync Rules (SYNCRULES) file. The other teachers can then load these rules into their installations of SMART Sync Teacher.
Administration Improvements
New Tools
SMART Sync 2009 introduces two tools for your school’s network administrators:
l Class List Server
l Administrator Tool
Class List Server is a Windows™ operating system service that automatically connects SMART Sync Teacher and Student installations in your school. It is easy to install and, in most situations, requires minimal configuration.
With its step-by-step interface, Administrator Tool allows your school’s network administrators to create SMART School (.school) files quickly and easily.
A SMART School file is a central repository of student, teacher, class, and computer lab information, as well as application and Internet blocking rules. When your SMART Sync Teacher installation is linked to a SMART School file, you can connect to your students’ computers with minimal additional setup.
Active Directory™ Integration
In the SMART Sync Student Configuration Tool, network administrators can now refer to Active Directory directory service fields to identify students. In addition, network
Other Changes
Multilingual Support
SMART Sync supports the following languages:
l English l Arabic l Chinese (Simplified) l Czech l Danish l Dutch l Finnish l French l German l Greek l Hungarian l Italian l Norwegian l Portuguese (Brazil) l Portuguese (Portugal) l Russian l Turkish l Spanish (International) l Spanish (Mexico) l Swedish
Quiz Feature Retirement
Response integration. SMART Response™ (formerly Senteo™) is interactive
assessment software that pairs accurate evaluation and instant results with the teaching power of SMART Notebook. Students benefit from SMART Notebook SE, which offers coordinated file management and multimedia authoring.
Service Packs
SMART Notebook SE and Application Blocking Rules
SMART Notebook SE is a version of SMART Notebook for students. Most schools install SMART Notebook SE on their students’ computers but not on their teachers’ computers. Therefore, in previous versions of SMART Sync, you may not have been able to include SMART Notebook SE in application blocking rules.
In SMART Sync 2009 SP8, you can now include SMART Notebook SE in application blocking rules even if you don’t have this application installed on your computer. In addition, SMART Sync 2009 SP8 introduces a default application blocking rule that allows you to block all applications on students’ computers except SMART Notebook SE.
Improved Performance in Wireless Environments
SMART Sync 2009 SP8 offers improved support for wireless environments. Teachers and students in wireless environments will notice improved performance and fewer disconnections.
Optimization Preferences
When you observe, control or broadcast a student’s desktop, SMART Sync now displays the student’s desktop on your screen at a specific image quality and frame rate for optimal network performance. You can adjust the image quality and frame rate for your network or display the student’s desktop as the highest possible image quality and frame rate.
Integration with the SMART Language Setup Utility
Customizing SMART Sync Student During Installation
Administrators can now customize the following properties when deploying the SMART Sync Student installation package (MSI file):
l If the software starts automatically when the student logs on
l How the student connects to the teacher
l What the student can do with SMART Sync (ask questions, chat, submit files,
and so on)
l The student’s ID
l The location where shared files will be stored
The SMART Sync Student Configuration Tool is still available if you want to customize these properties after installation or create a SyncClient.ini file to deploy to other student installations.
Volume Override Product Keys
SMART Sync 2009 SP4 introduces support for volume override product keys using the new activation wizard. Volume override product keys allow you to install and pre-activate multiple copies of SMART Sync at a single time.
SMART Product Update (SPU) 4.0
SMART Sync 2009 SP4 supports version 4.0 of SPU, which includes an improved user interface and other enhancements.
www.smarttech.com/support | www.smarttech.com/contactsupport Support +1.403.228.5940 or Toll Free 1.866.518.6791 (U.S./Canada)
